Mercedes-Benz India grows with best ever Q1 sales

Mercedes-Benz India has announced its best-ever sales results for the first quarter.

Between the period of January and March 2018, Mercedes-Benz India has sold 4,556 units. This marks the best ever first quarter sales for the Indian arm of the German manufacturer.

In the corresponding period in 2017, Mercedes sold 3,650 units in India which results in a growth of 24.8%. As for the entire 2017-2018 financial year, Mercedes sold 16,236 vehicles allowing a growth of 22.5% as the manufacturer sold 13,259 units in the previous fiscal.

Mercedes-Benz India claims that their SUV portfolio led by the most popular GLC has played a significant role in the growth in the sales numbers in addition to the high demand for the new long-wheelbase E-Class. The SUV range from Mercedes, which include the GLA, GLC, GLE, GLC Coupe, GLE Coupe and the GLS experienced double-digit growth alone.

Roland Folger, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “2018 began with a positive note for the brand, though the spike in Q1 sales can be attributed to the advancement of sales due to the impending price correction, triggered primarily by the increase in basic custom’s duty. It might be a challenge to sustain this momentum in the coming quarters and we are cautiously optimistic. As the luxury industry volumes are comparatively low, the focus should remain on helping the industry grow by creating demand. A rise in demand would translate into increased production and thus, lead to significant revenue generation, and would support the ‘Make in India’ initiative.”

He added, “We are extremely excited to witness the strong performance of our mainstay models, the C-, E-, S-Class and the SUVs. Particularly the success of the Long Wheelbase E-Class underlines the aptness of our decision to launch the car in India. We will continue with our product offensive and introduce a host of new products across segments and body shapes, to keep the consumer’s interest. Qualitative expansion in our network spread, coupled with service differentiation driven by our cost of ownership measures and availability of tailor-made financial programmes, will continue to add value to our efforts of creating the delightful customer experience. It is assuring to witness growth across the portfolio which reiterates that luxury car buyers’ in India continues to appreciate our ‘Best Keeps Leading’ initiatives.”

In 2018, Mercedes-Benz India has announced that they will launch 10 new products for the Indian market.